Title - Love Is For Thieves
Chapter Title - Easier Said Than Done
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Adventure
Disclaimer - I do not own The Thief Lord in anyway, shape or form. I only own my original characters and the plot for this fic. (Based off the film not the book,)

C.11

Autumn's Pov.

Victor went out early in the morning for 3 days to see what the Savage's and were up to. It seemed Dottore Massimo couldn't care less. He was happy that his son was out of his hair, it gave him one less problem to deal with. The Savage's however had become less and less willing to go home on the big private plane. They were supposed to be leaving in a day however, according to Victor, they hadn't made any arrangements to get to their plane at all. So, given the circumstances, I was under house arrest at Ida's and had to rely on whoever stayed in with me to cheer me up. I was trying my best not to become a miserable nuisance around the house but knowing that the Savage's were still looking for me and not being allowed out of Ida's was severely depressing. Today, Prop had promised to stay behind and keep me company while the others went about their business. I was glad of a little quality time with Prop since so far we'd only seen each other in other people's company and given that he was like my brother back in the foster home, it was nice to have time to ourselves. Although, I do wish Scip had volunteered to stay behind. We'd grown close over the time I'd been in Venice but he seemed reluctant to stay alone with me since he heard me sing. I hope that song didn't scare him off.
"...because you seem to be eating infront of people more." Damn. Prop's been talking to me for the past ten minutes.
"Um...yeah. I hadn't really noticed. I guess I'm just more comfortable around everyone here.
"That's what I said."
"Oh...sorry."
"What's wrong with you? You keep drifting off into your own little world. What were you thinking about?" Prop frowned, stretching out across the sofa with a yawn.
"Sorry. It's, uh...I'm just a little worried about the Savage's is all." I lied.
Prop stared for a moment. "Come off it, Storm. Even Bo can lie better than that." I pulled the cushion from behind me and threw it at him. It narrowly missed his head and he smirked moving into an upright position. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
"No."
"How'd you know why I'm talking about? I only said him." Prop's smirk grew into a wide grin as he moved over to sit on the arm of my chair.
"Well...I'm not thinking about anyone. So the answer would still be know regardless of who, he, is." I mumbled, feeling my face growing warmer.
"Liar. You're thinking about Scip aren't you."
"Why would I be?"
With an amused sigh, Prop slid down the arm of the chair to squish into the seat of it beside me. I shifted until I was side on with my legs over him. "You are easy to read, Storm. Well...to me you are anyway. And to Bo, Mosca, Riccio, Hornet, Victor and Ida."
"Prosper. You are making no sense at all."
"We can all see that you're into him. All of us, except Scip himself. Same as we all know he's into you, too."
"As you said before, Prop. Bo lies better than that."
"I'm not lying. Ask anyone, they'll tell you the same." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Actually, you should probably ask him cause then maybe this whole, liking each other but not saying anything, thing can stop."
"Oh yeah? And how long did it take you to work up the courage to tell Hornet you liked her?" I smirked.
"How'd you-"
"Everyone knows, Prop. Just cause the pair of you sneak around thinking it's your little secret. You're both way to obvious about it."
"We're to obvious? What about you and Scip and the way you gaze adoringly at each other across the dining table." He mocked, fluttering his eyelashes.
"Oh shush." I pouted, folding my arms across my chest. We were silent for a while, both thinking, before Prop spoke up again.
"I'll make a deal with you." He said, resting his arms across my knees. "Me and Hornet will stop sneaking around, if you go and tell Scip how you feel about him." He had the expression of someone who had just made the simplest plan in the world.
"Easier said than done." When Prop frowned I sighed and elaborated. "I'm not entirely sure how I feel about him and as for telling him, how exactly do you go about that? 'Oh, hi Scip, I quite like you you know?' I'd look like an idiot."
"Well, how does he make you feel when you look at him?"
"I don't know." I did know. But describing that feeling is near impossible.
"Well, when you look at him do you feel like you want to kiss him?"
"Prop!"
"I'm trying to help. Just answer the question." I nodded, the blush creeping back into my cheeks. "Right. Well, definitely an attraction then."
"Well, I could've told you that."
"Shut up. Um...Do you like just being near him, even if it's just sitting beside him without talking?" I nodded again. "Do you get butterflies when you look at him?"
"More like I've eaten a couple of hundred fizzy sweets in one go." I smiled lightly.
"You know what that is don't you?" I shook my head. "That's love, Storm." I tried to tell him he was being ridiculous but my voice seemed to have stopped working. I opened and closed my mouth uselessly, before giving up and settling for staring at my hands in my lap. "As for telling him, that's a little harder but I'm sure it'll come to you."
"What?" My voice came back at his words. "How unhelpful are you?"
"Trust me, it'll come to you." He pushed my legs away and stood up as Hornet came in through the door.
So that was his reason for a hasty exit. I heard him mumble something about needing to tell her something as he pulled her away into the kitchen. Bo came skipping in after her and bounded straight up onto my lap.
"What's wrong?" He asked in loudly innocent voice,
"Oh, nothing for you to worry about."
"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me!"
"Alright! I'm just thinking about how to tell someone something."
"Tell who what?"
"Someone, that you love them."
He jumped down off my knee and looked back up at me. "Like this." He cleared his throat. "Autumn Harris, I love you lots and lots." He grinned before skipping off into the kitchen,
I smirked as I followed him. If only it were that easy.

A few hours later and everybody but Victor was back. We were sat around the living room, telling jokes and old stories. Every time Scip laughed I felt that fizzing feeling in the pit of my stomach and knew that Prop was watching me. Eventually, the subject topic, took a change that I didn't like in the slightest.
"Hey, Storm." Said Riccio. "you never did tell me what happened to your parents." I stared at the ginger haired boy as everyone turned to stare at me.
"I don't really think that's any of our business." Commented Prop and I smiled lightly at him in thanks.
"Why not?" Asked Riccio.
"It's alright." I sighed, knowing he'd never give up. "When I was 13 my parents and I went out for dinner at a bar not far from where we lived. When we were walking back it was quite late at night and we could hear some kind of argument going on in an alley. My dad went to see what was going on and told me and my mum to wait when we were. The next thing we knew a group of men ran out of the alley but my dad wasn't there. We went to find him but he was already...he was already dead. The gang had attacked him. Then after that my mum sort of lost it a bit. She didn't pay attention to anything she was doing at first. Ended up scolding herself whilst she made a cup of tea or nearly setting the kitchen on fire whilst she cooked dinner. In the end she didn't do anything. She just stayed in her room all the time, didn't even get out of bed, Until one day she came downstairs wearing her nightdress and one of my dad's old coats. Said she had to leave cause my dad needed her, it was urgent. She opened the front door, took one step outside and collapsed. I called an ambulance and she died a few hours later in hospital. Of a broken heart according to one of the nurses. Then I ended up in a kids home and a year later I met Prop and Bo." It was one of the few times I'd told that story without crying but I guess anythings possible when your with your friends.
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine, honestly." I interrupted Riccio as I felt an arm drape around my shoulders. I turned and saw Scip smiling, sympathetically.
"You OK?" He whispered and I nodded, smiling back. Prop coughed loudly causing Hornet to giggle. I glared at him as everybody turned back to telling light-hearted stories. "What was that about?" Scip whispered again.
"Um, I...can I speak to you in private?"
"Sure."

But just as we were about to leave, Victor came back into the room looking thoroughly over joyed. "The Savage's and their over sized plane took off for England an hour ago!" He beamed. I turned to look at Scip who was grinning from ear to ear. He pulled me in close for a tight hug which I happily returned.
"So we can go back to the Stella, then?" Asked Mosca, a hopeful look on his face.
"As long as you promise to come and visit." Smiled Ida.
"Of course we will, it's only round the corner."
The rest of night was spent in high-spirits over our victory over the Savages, my private chat with Scip completely forgotten.